Outlook on climate change adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Existing regional and subregional cooperation mechanisms for adaptation

Given that climate change impacts often cut across borders, it is crucial that existing strategies and mechanisms to address hazards and possible adaptation actions include regional collaboration. Some of the leading organizations supporting regional cooperation and promoting platforms for key stakeholders to address the region’s needs and demands include the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) initiative, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP). ICIMOD is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge-sharing centre based in Kathmandu, Nepal, serving the eight regional HKH countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. It aims to help mountain people understand and adapt to the changes caused by globalization and climate change, through making the most of new opportunities, while addressing upstream and downstream issues. As a regional platform, the centre facilitates knowledge exchanges throughout the region, tailors international knowledge to the region’s needs and puts regional issues on the global stage. In addition, ICIMOD supports various transboundary programmes through partnerships with institutions and regional and global centres of excellence and works to promote regional cooperation on climate change issues.

Of the eight HKH countries, six (excluding China and Myanmar) belong to SAARC, which was established to strengthen and intensify regional cooperation, promote peace, stability and progress throughout the region, including environmental protection, and to address the challenges of climate change and natural disasters. Due to the bilateral issues between

some SAARC member countries, SAARC has not yet been able to achieve the full extent of its mandate (Dhungel, 2004). In 2014, the eighteenth SAARC summit adopted the Kathmandu Declaration taking into account the threats posed by climate change and were directed to initiate an intergovernmental process to appropriately contextualize the SDGs at the regional level. The SAARC Agreement on Rapid Response to Natural Disasters has been ratified by all member countries and entered into force in September 2016. Another organization working more specifically on environmental issues is SACEP, which was established as an intergovernmental organization in 1982 by Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SACEP have The Eminent Persons’ Group (EPG) is a joint mechanism with four members from Nepal and four from India that looks over existing bilateral treaties and agreements to evaluate whether they require any revision. This includes reviewing the India-Nepal Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1950, the existing trade regime, and cooperation in sharing water resources. The EPG meets every three months in India and Nepal, alternately. The Eminent Persons’ Group on India-Nepal relations GOOD PRACTICES

GOOD PRACTICES

The Arctic Council

The Arctic Council is the leading inter- governmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, particularly sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. The Ottawa Declaration lists the following countries as Members of the Arctic Council: Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States. In addition, six organizations representing Arctic indigenous peoples have status as Permanent Participants. The Arctic Council regularly produces comprehensive, cutting-edge environmental, ecological and social assessments through its Working Groups. The Council has also provided a forum for the negotiation of important legally binding agreements among the eight Arctic States.

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